In addition to the regular exhibition programme in 2014, Lunds konsthall is focusing on the art that can be seen in public spaces across the city. During eight days in September we highlight a selection of public artworks, not only in the city’s streets and squares but also in locations that are less easy to find. Lund has many public artworks worth rediscovering. Our project, titled See the Art, consists of several parts. We show a selection of sketches and models for public artworks inside the gallery and offer guided tours of the city’s art. During these tours we walk or go by bike or bus. At some occasions artists will participate and present their own work.

Public art commissions in Lund are largely initiated by the city, but also state agencies, the university, the church and private developers are active in this field. Artworks belonging to the city – and therefore really to its inhabitants – are commissioned every time the city builds something new or substantially rebuilds something old. Then a part of the planned building budget is dedicated to public art, one and a half per cent to be precise. In addition half a per cent goes to a joint maintenance fund that comprises all municipal works of art. Most buildings put up by the city are schools or serviced housing estates, but sometimes there are larger projects: a swimming pool, an ice rink, new headquarters for the city administration.

The public art in Lund is usually commissioned for a particular building and the activities that it hosts. Although these artworks are often accessible to the public, this is not an explicit priority. The artworks in the squares and in other more prominent locations throughout the city are often quite a few years old. This is perhaps something to think about, since such outdoor works usually have a long lifespan and inevitably become an important part of the city’s identity.

With the project See the Art we intend to create and promote awareness of the artworks that can be seen in Lund, where to find them and what they represent. At Lunds konsthall we show models and sketches by the artists Mats Andersson, Bianca Maria Barmen, Carl Boutard, Barbro Bäckström, Ann Böttcher, Alexander Calder, Eduardo Chillida, Cecilia Edefalk, Jörgen Fogelquist, Liam Gillick, Tiril Hasselknippe, Olav Christopher Jenssen, Atti Johansson, Clay Ketter, Matts Leiderstam, Anna Ling, Eva Löfdahl, Ingegerd Lundahl Olsson, Oscar Reuterswärd, Vassil Simittchiev, Sophie Tottie, Thale Vangen, Magnus Wallin, John Wipp and Anders Österlin.The guided tours, which are an important part of the project, include works by these artists and many others.

Lunds konsthall wishes to thank all the participating artists for their invaluable commitment to the project. We are also very grateful to the Museum of Sketches for the extraordinarily good support and to all the city’s institutions that have opened their doors to this project.